ENGLISH
REFERENCE

holy cow

idiom
Meaning

An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.


Origin

disputed origin

Minced oath for holy shit, possibly partially based on the fact that cows are sacred in some religions (e.g. Hinduism).

Examples
SIMPLE

Holy cow, that car is fast.

CONTEXTUAL

When she opened the door and saw the crowd, she said, "Holy cow, you guys actually came."

COMPLEX

Standing at the canyon's edge and beholding the vast, painted cliffs below, he could only whisper, "Holy cow," the words inadequate against the immensity of the silence.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    cow juice

    Cow’s milk.

  2. 02

    have a cow

    To get angry; have a fit.

  3. 03

    holy buckets

    An exclamation of surprise or astonishment.

  4. 04

    holy catfish

    Expressing terror, awe, surprise, astonishment, etc.

  5. 05

    holy crap

    An expression of amazement: holy cow, holy shit.

  6. 06

    holy crap on a stick

    Emphatic form of holy crap.

  7. 07

    holy crickets

    An expression of surprise or astonishment.

  8. 08

    holy crud

    holy crap; holy shit

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